‘Kakegawa S72’ originated from a hybridization made in February 1999 in Kakegawa, Japan. The female parent was a Calibrachoa breeding line with red colored flowers and semi-creeping habit known as 9B-58C. The male parent was a Calibrachoa breeding line with rose colored flowers and mounding habit known as 6BC-34B-7.
In August 1999, F1 seed was sown from this cross and plants were transplanted to outdoors. These plants ranged from erect to semi-creeping habit and scarlet to rose flower color. Five plants with scarlet flower color were selected and intercrossed to produce F2 generation seed. In February 2000, this F2 seed was sown and produced 120 plants ranging from mounding to semi-erect habit and having red to brown-red flowers. One plant with brown-red flowers and semi-creeping habit was selected for vegetative propagation. In August 2000, this selection was evaluated in the open field as plants generated from vegetative cuttings. The selection was vegetatively propagated again in February 2001 and evaluated in an open field.
The selection was further evaluated from new vegetative plants in Salinas, Calif. during 2002. The selection was subsequently named ‘Kakegawa S72’. ‘Kakegawa S72’ was asexually reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif. and was determined to have its characteristics firmly fixed in successive generations of asexual propagation.